Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to grinding mechanisms, and more particularly to grinders or mills with adjustable grinding mechanisms for grinding materials, such as spices and grains.
Description of the Related Art
Traditional spice and grain mills are common household and kitchen tools. They typically comprise a hollow cylindrical body with a grinding rasp and rasp ring at one end and a grind knob at the other. A grinder shaft typically runs along the central axis of the body and connects the rasp and knob together such that a user may hold the body and turn the knob, causing the rasp to rotate relative to the rasp ring and grind the material contained within the body. Most mills also provide a means for adjusting the grind coarseness between fine and coarse settings.
The means for adjusting the grind is usually an additional knob threaded onto an extreme end of the grinder shaft, either at the top, above the grind knob, or at the bottom, below the grinding rasp. In either case, to adjust the grind setting, a user must adjust their hold on the grinder, reposition their hands to grab the grind adjustment knob, and then tighten or loosen the knob to adjust the grind. Once they have adjusted the grind they must reposition their hands again before they resume grinding. If the grind needs additional adjustment, then the user must interrupt the grinding process again, reposition their hands, and make further adjustments with the grind adjustment knob. This traditional method for adjusting the grind coarseness is awkward and time consuming.
It is desirable to have a mill that allows for a simple, easy, and straightforward grind adjustment. Further, it is desirable to have a mill with a grind adjustment mechanism that does not require the user to reposition their hands to change the grind setting.